Client review exerpts: "A Jedi master in the legal justice system"; "took the time and effort to treat me like a human being"; "a great attorney who is passionate about what he does"; "caring and still a bulldog in court"; "a lawyer that never quits".

Jon defends in the state and federal courts in Fairfax, Northern Virginia, and beyond, including courts in Fairfax City, Arlington, Falls Church, Alexandria, Prince William and Loudoun County. Criminal defense is about defending people and upholding civil liberties. Se habla español. On parle français.

TERMS OF USE

DISCLAIMER

CASE RESULTS DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE, AND DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY OUR LAW FIRM.Va. R. Prof. Cond. 7.1(b).Nothing on this blog and elsewhere in the katzjustice.com website is legal advice. Jon Katz is admitted to practice before the state and federal courts in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C. A competent lawyer should be consulted privately for any legal advice. Here is further disclaimer information and the terms of use for this website.

NOTE: CASE RESULTS DISCUSSED IN THIS BLOG DEPEND UPON A VARIETY OF FACTORS UNIQUE TO EACH CASE, AND DO NOT GUARANTEE OR PREDICT A SIMILAR RESULT IN ANY FUTURE CASE UNDERTAKEN BY OUR LAW FIRM.Va. R. Prof. Cond. 7.1(b).

When it comes to the prevalence of lawfully carrying concealed handguns, Virginia is like night and day from Maryland and Washington, D.C., where that right is still strictly limited. I sometimes cynically wonder whether the sunshine-y charm displayed in so much of Virginia is partly influenced by not wanting to upset a person who might be carrying a concealed weapon. Concealed carry permits are easy to obtain at Virginia circuit courthouses.

Nevertheless, I strongly believe that the Second Amendment must be given real teeth -- unless it is amended -- because to do otherwise helps defang my beloved First Amendment all the more than the First Amendment already gets damaged by courts and governments.

In the aftermath of the Supreme Court's monumental Heller Second Amendment decision invalidating D.C.'s total ban on handguns, yesterday the Seventh Circuit, 2-1, ruled that Heller clearly provides Second Amendment protection beyond one's home -- allowing the possession of handguns ready to use, rather than unloaded -- in part seeing that the home is far from the only place where people face threats that might lead them to arm themsevles in defense. Moore, et al. v. Madigan,